A new chapter of Western tradition in Riley County began last week as the Kansas State University Rodeo moved into its permanent home at the new Bilbrey Family Event Center. The 70th annual event on Feb. 19-22, 80 years after the rodeo team’s founding, marked the first time the university’s premier rodeo wasn’t in Weber Arena.

The $5 million facility is the first completed project in K-State’s $210 million Agriculture Innovation Initiative, according to a report by K-State Today. For the student-athletes representing the university across the Central Plains Region, the transition from Weber Arena to the 3,000-seat Bilbrey Center represents a major step into a professional-grade competition space.

Reece Conner, a K-State rodeo athlete who competes in breakaway roping, noted the energy shift during the Saturday night session. The crowd consistently filled the new stands to capacity, and Conner emphasized that the facility is more than just a venue; it is a tool for the program’s growth.

“It was a really cool experience,” Conner, freshman in news & sports media, said. “It was full nearly every day, and that is so impressive and exciting. With a new coach and a new arena, you’re going to get great kids from all over the country. You should see how nice this is compared to other collegiate arenas.”

The program is also adjusting to new leadership. Earlier this year, Christi Braudrick took over as head coach per the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. 

“It was a huge step for me to come to a program where there’s a better facility,” Braudrick said. “There’s more potential in terms of recruiting. This school has agriculture programs where [my previous school] did not, so it [K-State] had a lot of things I was looking for as a coach that I thought could help build a program.”

Braudrick said she aimed to bring consistency to the team when she stepped in as coach halfway through the school year.

“After the transition of a fall semester with a GA interim coach, I do feel like having leadership and being on a schedule and having expectations, working together as a team daily and practicing and the camaraderie we have, I do think hopefully it did boost their morale and get them ready for their first competition,” she said.

Visiting competitors felt the impact of the new facility as well. Mackenzie Meinhardt, a student-athlete who competes in fence jumping on the Equestrian team from Colby Community College, traveled to Manhattan to support the Colby Rodeo team.

“Coming from a different school, you notice when a program has this kind of support,” Meinhardt said. “It makes the long hauls worth it when you know you’re competing on the best ground in the region. It is also great to see such amazing crowd support, especially because I am from Wamego and grew up a K-Stater.”

While the K-State team prepares for its next competition in Fort Scott, the Bilbrey Family Event Center will become a permanent community host for events. According to the university’s facility overview, the arena features a 130-by-250-foot floor and is expected to host up to 40 events annually, including 4-H youth clinics and regional livestock shows.